Article carrier and blank therefor

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an article carrier having a carrying handle formed within a medial partition structure. The carrying handle (H) has an engaging edge that is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to an upper edge of the medial partition structure, and the engaging edge is disposed in an off-centre position within the medial partition structure.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An article carrier, comprising:
 a tubular structure having a plurality of outer walls defining an interior volume for receiving one or more articles; 
 a medial partition structure coupled to the tubular structure; and 
 a carrying handle formed in the medial partition structure, the carrying handle having an engaging edge, the engaging edge being disposed in an off-centre position within the medial partition structure and the engaging edge being disposed at a non-zero angle relative to an upper edge of the medial partition structure; 
 wherein the carrying handle comprises at least one aperture which defines said engaging edge, and wherein a first notional line passing through the center of said at least one aperture is spaced from a second notional line passing through a center of the medial partition structure such that the engaging edge is disposed in said off-centre position within the medial partition structure; 
 wherein the carrier comprises a bottom wall, and wherein the first and second notional lines each run in a perpendicular manner to the bottom wall; and 
 wherein the at least one aperture is dimensioned such that the second notional line also passes through an end region of the at least one aperture, wherein said end region is disposed entirely within said at least one aperture. 
 
     
     
       2. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the plurality of outer walls comprises first and second opposed side walls and front and rear opposed end walls, and wherein a first end of the carrying handle is closer to the front end wall than a second end of the carrying handle is to the rear end wall. 
     
     
       3. The article carrier according to  claim 2  wherein, the medial partition structure has an end-to-end length and wherein the distance between the first end of the carrying handle and the second end of the carrying handle is between about 40% and about 45% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       4. The article carrier according to  claim 3  wherein, a first distance between the front end of the carrier and the first end of the carrying handle is between about 10% and about 15% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       5. The article carrier according to  claim 3  wherein, a second distance between the rear end of the carrier and the second end of the carrying handle is between about 40% and about 45% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       6. The article carrier according to  claim 5  wherein the second distance is about 45% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       7. The article carrier according to  claim 3  a third distance between the second notional line and the first notional line is between about 10% and about 15% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       8. The article carrier according to  claim 7  wherein the third distance is 13% of the end-to-end length of the medial partition structure. 
     
     
       9. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the non-zero angle at which the engaging edge of the carrying handle is disposed, relative to the upper edge of the medial partition structure is between about 5° and about 15°. 
     
     
       10. The article carrier according to  claim 9  wherein the non-zero angle is 10°. 
     
     
       11. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the medial partition structure is arranged to divide the interior of the carrier into at least two cells. 
     
     
       12. The article carrier according to  claim 11  wherein the carrying handle comprises a handle aperture extending through medial partition structure, the handle aperture having a first and second end and wherein the partition structures comprises a first pair of cells for receiving a respective one of a first pair articles and a second pair of cells for receiving a respective one of a second pair articles, the first pair of cells being disposed at an end of the article carrier and the second pair of cells disposed adjacent to the first pair of cells, and wherein the handle aperture is arranged to be disposed between the first pair of articles and between the second pair of articles and extends therebetween. 
     
     
       13. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the carrier comprises partition structures and wherein the interior volume is divided into separate cells created by the partition structures, which partition structures mitigate against the articles contained within the carrier from colliding into one another. 
     
     
       14. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the carrying handle comprises one or more cushioning flaps foldably connected to the carrying handle and wherein at least one cushioning flap is foldably connected along the engaging edge to provide a cushion against which a user's fingers more comfortably contact the carrying handle when the carrying handle is deployed. 
     
     
       15. The article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the carrying handle is sufficiently large such that at least three of a user's fingers can be inserted into the carrying handle and wherein the medial partition structure comprises only one such carrying handle. 
     
     
       16. A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels for forming a plurality of outer walls of a tubular structure of the carrier; 
 one or more panels for forming a medial partition structure, which one or more panels are configured and arranged such that once the blank is assembled into a carrier, the medial partition structure is connected to the tubular structure; and 
 wherein the one or more panels for forming a medial partition structure comprise handle features for forming a carrying handle in the medial partition structure, the features for forming a carrying handle being configured and arranged such that the carrying handle of the carrier formed from the blank has an engaging edge that is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to an upper edge of the medial partition structure and wherein the engaging edge is disposed in an off-centre location within the medial partition structure; 
 wherein the carrying handle comprises at least one aperture which defines said engaging edge, and wherein a first notional line passing through the center of said at least one aperture is spaced from a second notional line passing through a center of the medial partition structure such that the engaging edge is disposed in said off-centre position within the medial partition structure; 
 wherein the blank comprises a panel for forming a bottom wall in a set-up carrier, and wherein the first and second notional lines each run in a perpendicular manner to the bottom wall in the set-up carrier; and 
 wherein the at least one aperture is dimensioned such that the second notional line also passes through an end region of the at least one aperture, wherein said end region is disposed entirely within said at least one aperture.